The Potential for Biofuels from Algae

Algae Biomass SummitSan Francisco, CANovember 15, 2007

Philip T. Pienkos, Ph.D.National Renewable Energy LaboratoryNational Bioenergy Center

NREL/PR-510-42414

The Biodiesel DilemmaTriglycerides (TAGs) from current oilseed crops and waste oils cannot come close to meeting U.S. diesel demand (60+ billion gal/yr)

• The entire U.S. soybean crop could provide approximately 2.5 billion gallons per year.

• Estimated world-wide production of biodiesel would only yield 13 billion gallons per year.

• This much agricultural productivity cannot possibly be diverted from the food supply.

• TAGs also represent an attractive feedstock for biopetrochemicals meaning less would be available for transportation fuel.

Alternative sources of TAGs are needed!

Why Algae?

Much greater productivity than their terrestrial cousinsNon-food resourceUse otherwise non-productive landCan utilize saline waterCan utilize waste CO2 streamsCan be used in conjunction with waste water treatmentAn algal biorefinery could produce oils, protein, and carbohydrates

Microalgal CultivationInexpensive culture systems using shallow (10 cm deep) ponds stirred with paddle wheels in areas of high solar insolation

More intensive cultivation systems becoming available

Algal cultivation can be 50x more productive than traditional crops

Potential for culture in areas not used for crop production• Desert land• Ocean

…Using Waste CO2 from Coal-fired Power PlantsCarbon dioxide rich streams from combustion of fossil fuels or other industrial processes ideal for algae production

Double benefit: provide food for algae, and remediate waste stream (recycling of fossil CO2)

Carbon credits may become economic driver

Comparing Potential Oil Yields

Source: Wikipedia.org

Fatty acid composition of algal oils suitable for preparation of biodiesel

CropOil Yield

Gallons/acreCorn 18Cotton 35Soybean 48Mustard seed 61Sunflower 102Rapeseed/Canola 127Jatropha 202Oil palm 635

Algae (10 g/m2/day at 15% TAG)

1,200

Algae (50 g/m2/day at 50% TAG)

10,000

Hydrogen Alkanes or“Green Diesel” Biodiesel FT Liquids

Microalgae

Hydrogen Biomass

Inte

rmed

iate

Fuel

Lipids orHydrocarbons

Alcohols(Ethanol)

Carbohydrates

Methane

MethaneSyngas

Macroalgae

Algae: Route to Numerous BioEnergy Sources

What Are the Requirements?

Production of algal oil requires:

Land

Sunlight

Water

CO2

Macro- and micronutrients

Resource Requirement: Land (Basis: algal oil needed for 60 billion gal/yr biodiesel)

10@15 Productivity(~1,200 gal/acre-yr)

50@50 Productivity(~10,000 gal/acre-yr)

48,000,000 acres 6,000,000 acres• Compare to 74 million acres used for 2005 U.S. soybean crop• Using land not currently used for crops

Vast Areas of the Globe Are Not Suitable for High Levels of Terrestrial Agriculture

But could be used for algal culture.

Resource Requirement: WaterSaline aquifers in the U.S. Water with few

competing uses

Water resources show many areas of intersection with cheap land and CO2 sources

“Produced water” from oil wells potential source

Seawater available in many parts of the world

Identify ideal sites with more recent information

Resource Requirement: CO2 and Water(Basis: algal oil needed for 60 billion gal/yr biodiesel)

10@15 Productivity

50@50 Productivity

CO2

Usage (ton/year)

% of US Power Plant Emissions

1.4 billion

56%

0.9 billion

36%

Water

Usage (trillion gallons/yr)* 120 16

*Compare to ~22 trillion gal/yr saline water extracted in 2000 in U.S. (primarily for power plant cooling) (USGS), and to >4000 trillion gal/yr of water used to irrigate U.S. corn crop (USDA).

What is the Potential?

Overall potential is enormous• Scenarios for producing substantial amount

of U.S. diesel from microalgae are not unrealistic

• But would require a major dedicated effort

Significant R&D is required to optimize yields in order to realize realistic scenarios of land and water use

NREL’s Aquatic Species ProgramResearch project at NREL from

1978 to 1996Project cut to focus on ethanol3000 strains of micro-algae

collected and screened 1,000 m2 outdoor test facility

(Roswell, NM) – 10g/m2/day biomass overall, 50g/m2/day peak

Process for lipid extraction and conversion to biodiesel

Genetic manipulation of algae in last few years of projectAnalysis provides stalking horse

for all efforts to commercialize technology

See the close-out report at:

http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2004/915/9150010.pdf

Technology Future –What’s Changed Since 1996?Oil prices at record highsWholesale diesel $0.60 -> $3+Increased interest in CO2 capture, carbon trading, etc.Greater emphasis on energy securityNew photobioreactor designs, advances in material scienceExplosion in biotechnology• Advances in metabolic

engineering• Genomics, proteomics,

metabolomics, bioinformatics, etc.

DOE Joint Genome Institute

FuelProduction

Where are the hurdles?

Oil (Lipid) Recovery

AlgalCultivation

Process optimizationFatty acid profilesCosts and LCAFuel characteristics

Energy densityCarbon numbersCloud pointStabilityConsistency

Additives requiredEngine testingASTM standard

De-watering methodsLipid extraction PurificationCosts, energy inputEnvironmental issuesValue from residual biomassPhotobioreactor design

Capital and operating costsTemperature controlSaline water chemistriesMakeup water (evaporation)CO2 availability and transportNutrient requirementsStarting speciesGrowth rateOil content & FA profileRobustnessResistance to invasionBiofouling in closed systemsNutrient induction requirementEnvironmental impact, containment

Critical R&D Elements1. Algal strains for continuous high-level oil production

Selecting the right starting speciesMutation and selection/screeningGenomics approaches to understand and control lipid induction

2. Cultivation facility design and operationStrain characteristics required for cultivation facilityHarvesting and extraction technologyUse of remaining algae components

3. Fuel productionSelection of preferred triglycerides and conversion technologyOptimize catalyst and operating conditionsDevelop any required pre/post processing

Goal: Produce premium quality fuel from algae at a cost competitive with petrodiesel.

The Right Hand Giveth But the Left Hand Taketh Away

Highly engineered systems can provide better yields but at higher cost

Saline aquifers will provide cheap source of water but how will evaporated water be replaced and how will changing water chemistry affect yields?

CO2 from coal plants provide economic credits and necessary nutrient but also NOx and Hg

Engineered organism offers promise of higher yields but may have difficulty competing and must face containment issues and regulation

Underutilized lands can be developed but the development will only be suitable for algal farming

Inexpensive resources and byproduct credit can look good on paper but flawed economic analysis will lead to failure

NREL Commitment to Developing Algae Biofuels Technology

Chevron CRADA• Chevron and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Collaborate

on Research to Produce Transportation Fuels using Algae

NREL Programs• NREL Strategic Initiative• Infrastructure Development• Internally Funded Research Project: Development of a

Comprehensive High-Throughput Technique for Assessing Lipid Production in Algae

DOD• Support of AFOSR Algal Biofuels Program

Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2) Research Consortium• Establishment of a Bioenergy-Focused Microalgae Strain Collection

Using Rapid, High-Throughput Methodologies

Government Agencies Supporting Algae Biofuel Research

Department of Defense• DARPA*• AFOSR

Department of Energy• NREL*• Sandia*• Los Alamos• PNNL*

Algae Biofuel Companies

A2BE Carbon Capture* IGVAlgae Biofuels Imperium Renewables*

Algae Link Infinuel BiodieselAquaflow Bionomic Inventure Chemical*

Aurora BioFuels Inc.* Kent SeaTech Corp.*Bodega Algae* Kwikpower

Community Fuels* LiveFuels Inc.*Diversified Energy* OriginOil

Energy Farms PetroAlgae (XL Tech Group)Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies SeaAg Inc*

General Atomics Solazyme, Inc.*Global Green Solutions* Solix Biofuels Inc.*

Green Star Texas Clean FuelsGreenfuel Trident Exploration/MenovaGreenShift Valcent Products

GS Cleantech XL Renewables*HR Biofuel*

SummaryMicroalgae are unicellular biofactories that can make oil (TAGs) from sunlight and CO2

Algal TAGs can be used to make biodiesel or other refinery feedstocks

Algae represent new feedstock for biofuels – one that doesn’t compete with food/feed/ethanol

Potential to supply significant percentage of U.S. fuel demand

The NREL Aquatic Species Program provides a unique knowledge and tool base

There are many important issues to be addressed and fundamental research is needed

Rapid growth in interest in algal oils technologies including renewed efforts at NREL